The Star Engine
by Somniums
Summary: The tale of a brilliant gnome engineer who is often oblivious to the obvious. With the help of his loving yet more sensible sister they will embark on a journey across Azeroth that will test their courage, knowledge, and devotion to one another.
1. Escape from Gnomeregan!

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

"_Evacuate the city! Gnomeregan is lost!"_

There was a cacophony of shouting, screaming, and dying. Gnomish citizens had dropped their lives where they stood and begun bolting for the exits of their great city when the call came that they had been invaded by troggs. The troggs were a vile, unsightly race of subterranean humanoids and it appears they didn't like the gnomes all that well now.

Everywhere was scattered debris as structure after structure would fall and rumble in the distance. Explosions could be heard echoing out from every corner of the labyrinthine domain. In an effort to contain the threat the leaders of Gnomeregan had flooded the city with radiation. Bodies were everywhere, trogg and gnome alike. The remaining survivors stampeded shouting for the escape passages. Occasionally a trogg ambush would intercept the fleeing survivors, causing a wild scatter as more citizens were picked off and the remaining continued to flee in terror.

There was one gnome though who was running against the tide of fear. A look of panic on her face like all the others though she ran in the direction opposite of them constantly colliding with one terrified evacuee after the next as she pushed them aside.

"Mekrin! Mekrin!" The young female gnome cried out, looking frantically in every direction.

Far back in Gnomeregan where the remaining citizens had either fled or died by now was a typical gnomish domicile. Amidst all the chaos and destruction was a smiling gnome, green hair licked high and fully bearded as the room cackled and cracked with the sounds of soldering and welding.

"Aha! Almost complete!" Proclaimed the gnome excitedly, his voice filled with an energetic and lively timbre.

The room was filled with a collage of random instruments, devices, and unexplainable mechanicals. On the table being tended to was another strange device being constructed by the gleeful resident. Just outside the hovel was the dissolution brought on by the radiation and the troggs. A virulent mint colored mist spawned of the decay, creeping ever closer to the hovel.

"MEKRIN!" Cried the female gnome as she was running through a now desolate Gnomeregan, radiation had spilled into every nook and cranny and she was frantically looking for paths through the miasma.

Light and sparks danced about the room, reflecting off of the metallic walls and the gnome's protective goggles as he tended to his invention with a gleaming smile. He seemed completely oblivious to the transpirations that had begun to occur.

"Hmm!" The gnome observed his creation criticizingly. "Perhaps if I put more-"

The door to the domicile slammed open and a harsh clang echoed throughout the room.  
"MEKRIN!" In ran the similarly short-cut green haired female as she ran to the inventing gnome and grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Can it not wait Mawly? I've almost created my latest device!" Mekrin declared proudly as he tried to turn back to his table. Mawly forcibly turned him back towards her with worry in her vibrant blue eyes, her breath was heavy and her petite form was panting from exhaustion.

"We have to go Mekrin! Troggs invaded Gnomeregan and Mekkatorque has flooded the city with radiation!" All ready she was pulling him away from the table and trying to return to a sprint.

"Fine! Fine!" Mekrin agreed as he begun following behind Mawly, seemingly reluctant to leave his workbench even in light of the situation.

The two zig-zagged throughout the remaining few passages that lead through the corruption. Going up a level, Mawly leading the way, they came to a wall of the billowing fumes. Mawly desperately looking about till quickly turning to a ventilation shaft that rest against a wall nearby.

"Through here!" She commanded as she reached into a tool belt that rest around her waist, pulling a spanner into her hand as she begun loosening the vent cover. Soon the grate fell to the floor with a deafening bang as she jumped and begun pulling her miniature form into the opening, turning her head over her shoulder to check on Mekrin.

"Mekrin!" Mawly shouted surprisedly as Mekrin had all ready begun busying himself with a small contraption in his palm that he was tending to with a thin precision tool. Even worse that caught the frightened gnome's eyes was the silhouette of something barreling through the fumes, a trogg.

The trogg was enraged with mutation as it bellowed out, swinging a piece of metal debris wildly in its hand as it turned on the distracted Mekrin. Mawly jumped back down quickly and ran to intercept, all the while the other was completely oblivious and focused on his tinkering.

The trogg lifted up the debris and growled out, just behind Mekrin as it came to bring it crashing down atop the distracted gnome.

"Oomph!" Mekrin groaned out as his tool and toy fell from his hands and bounced into the growing cloud. Mawly had tackled him away from harm for the time being, a thunderous thud emitting as the trogg's make-shift weapon collided with the steel floors of Gnomeregan.

Mawly picked Mekrin up to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the vent, Mekrin was dusting his work coat off tediously as he turned to see the trogg.

"Oh! My!" Mekrin's eyes widened behind his tinted goggles as he became more agreeable with Mawly's decision to escape. "Let's get moving then I suppose! He doesn't look too friendly."

"Right!" Mawly was all ready pushing Mekrin up into the vent as the trogg came stomping after her in a frothing rage. Mekrin fell into the ventilation shaft with a reverberating clang. Mawly turned to the trogg just as it rose the slag of metal once more. Mawly rolled to the right a short distance as it was brought down with crushing force and dented against the edge of the vent. The large trogg turned to Mawly and snarled, swinging in a wide sweep as Mawly jumped in avoidance once more, flattening against the cold ground as the weapon cleaved the air just above her.

The trogg had swung so furiously it hunched over and stumbled in Mawly's direction. Thinking quickly she jumped to her feet and hopped up the side of the putrid monster like a pair of steps, jumping from atop its back and landing into the vent next to Mekrin.

"Come on!" Mawly said with a heavy breath, beginning to climb a maintenance ladder within the shaft.

"Yes, yes! I'm coming! Waiting on you is all!" Mekrin said cockily as he followed Mawly up the ladder. Below the sounds of the trogg echoed into the shaft as it attempted to force itself into the opening with clumsy aggression.

The two reached the top of the ladder, several stories up now Mawly looked back down at the disturbance of a loud metallic rupturing sound banging out from the bottom of the shaft. The destructive fumes were quickly chasing up after them now after erupting from a pressurized compartment of the vents.

"We have to go faster!" Mawly yelled out to Mekrin, he nodded as they got to their feet in the vent once it turned into a long path. Their gnomish size was just perfect for standing in the shaft, any taller and they would have had to be on their knees. The two begun sprinting down the metallic passage, each step echoing out with a clang. The rasp of the cloud behind them was growing louder.

Mawly was looking over signs put up by maintenance indicating which twist and turn directed them where. Another minute and the two approached another ladder.

_BOOM!_

A horrid dissonance deafened them both as a nearby district of Gnomeregan exploded from damage, shaking the ventilation shaft and ringing in their ears now.

"Hurry up!" Mawly cried out as she begun to ascend the ladder, Mekrin right behind her.

Reaching the top of the ladder another explosion reverberated out, then another and another. Each time it sounded closer than the last and shook the vent ever more violently. Mawly pulled Mekrin back to his feet quickly after he stumbled from one of the excessive blasts. The two had ascended several stories of their city now through the ventilation. A cool air began to wash over them now from the direction they were running.

_Urrrrgh! Rurrrr!_

Just as Mawly and Mekrin turned the corner into a much larger section of the shaft, the one that fed all the other minor shafts, another obstacle was before them. Another trogg had gotten lost in the shafts and now stood before them barring their way out. It spotted the two and went into a frenzy, swinging its arms wildly as it begun to charge them. Both of them frozen for a minute, in front of them was a trogg and behind them were the continuous sounds of miasma and growing destruction.

"Come on!" Mawly shouted as she grabbed Mekrin's hand and ran with him towards the fumbling trogg. Just as Mawly got in reach of the beast's lanky arms she slid from her footing onto her rump and back, pulling Mekrin down onto his front as the two slid under and between the legs of the trogg.

"Eeeyah!" Mekrin yowled out as his goggles grinded the shaft floor. Mawly lept back to her feet and with her pulled Mekrin back to his and kept their momentum, returning to their sprint. The trogg angrily tossed about, turning itself around in the vent was a clumsy ordeal.

_BOOM! BANG!_

Right behind them was a bright flare of fiery light. Mawly kept resolute while Mekrin seemed for the most part stoic to all that was going on. Another turn in the vents and a dot of light appeared in front of them, three lines segmenting the glow. At the end of their shaft was the exit vent that dumped out into winter landscape of Dun Morogh.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Mawly's frantic yet pitchly voice shouted out anxiously as they picked up their pace as best they could. Another explosion followed by a flash of light right behind them as well as the dying cry of the trogg as it was engulfed in flames as they drew closer to the vent.

"Wait! We have to go back!" Mekrin suddenly cried out, Mawly looked over her shoulder while running forwards with a confused, unsettled expression.

"What? Why?"

"I left my soldering gun back at the house!"

_BOOM!_

The two were tossed forwards by the force that erupted right behind them causing them to bounce forwards through the shaft. Both of them were still for a moment, now laying just at the large vent panel that exited the shafts and out into the snow and sky. Mekrin groaned as he lay limp against the ventilation wall, the fumes and fire were right on their tail. Mawly jumped up quickly and grabbed Mekrin by the neck of his coat as she begun tugging him frantically the short distance remaining.

"Mekrin! Get up please!" Mawly cried out, a dozen steps to the exit.

_**BOOM!**_


	2. Travel to Ironforge

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

_**Chapter 2**_

Everything was a blanket of chilled white haze. A stiffening breeze washed over the area as it saturated all that was near in a harsh cold. In the distance was a plethora of sounds, but in the immediate area there was nothing but a crunching, crackling, and the groaning of iron. Mekrin flexed his hand, if only to make sure it was still there, then he wiggled his feet and touched his face.

_Burrr!_

Mekrin wiped the snow he had slapped onto his face with the back of his gloved hand. Laying on his back, half buried in the white powder he could see the foggy sky of Dun Morogh. The wind whistled as it traveled the currents of the sky and trees in the distance would moan and sway in the breeze. The world was cracked and the color distorted until Mekrin removed his broken goggles, the protective frames shattered.

The gnome pulled himself from the wintry pile and stood, dusting his singed work coat off as he looked about. Suddenly the memory of what had just happened returned to him. About one hundred yards behind him was the mountain side and protruding from it was a flaming ventilation shaft that was spilling putrid fumes out into the air where it quickly dispersed harmlessly.

Mekrin rubbed his sore neck as he looked around quietly. In the far distance was the sounds of shouting and panic still, the fleeing survivors of Gnomeregan had made it to the surface but were still pursued by troggs. For now it seemed Mekrin was a safe distance away from danger, he gave himself a look over to make sure everything was still connected.

_!_

Mekrin looked around quickly till he saw what he was looking for. A pair of gnome sized boots were sticking out of a nearby snow drift. Mekrin ran over to the drift and began shoveling it away with his scooped hands. Soon he had uncovered Mawly who lay unconscious in the drift. Mekrin leant in quietly and tapped his sister on the face gently and was rewarded with a tired squeak. He smiled behind his thick beard and stood back up, looking around all the while keeping rather quiet so as not to draw the attention of the troggs.

Debris was everywhere, slabs of metal had been thrown far into the distance in every direction like giant shrapnel. Mekrin patted the side pocket of his heavy coat as if looking for something. Soon he came to realize by probing the pocket with his hand that the bottom had been burnt open and all the contents had been lost during the escape. Mekrin returned to Mawly and looked over her, leaning down once more to pat her softly against the cheek. She only replied with another tired squeak.

Mekrin leant down and grabbed his sister by her hands, lifting her limp body up for a moment as he wrapped her arms around his neck and hefted her up onto his back. Gnomes being small as they were already, Mawly still wasn't that far from being on the ground.

_I bet they're going to Ironforge!_

Mekrin could only assume that was where the survivors were fleeing to after such an attack. He decided that he'd better make his way there as well less him and Mawly fall victim to the cold and the remaining troggs. Off trekked Mekrin slowly but steadily, Mawly hanging from his hunched back with her face buried in the back of his neck and coat.

The sounds of shouting remained constant in the distance if Mekrin stopped to listen carefully for a moment. The growling of troggs was also in the discord.

_Better not..._

Mekrin decided to make it back to Ironforge away from the main road between Gnomeregan and the capital of the dwarfs. He continued forwards, occasionally Mawly would whimper out exhaustedly. Eventually the only sounds were that of Mekrin's boots as they crunched into the snow and Mawly's mumbling.

He had decided to go through the woods that bordered the road, just out of sight of the highway. The terrified citizens of Gnomeregan had long made it ahead of him and Mawly, they must've been running the whole time with the troggs on their tail. Everything was quiet. After about an hour of walking steadily with Mawly on his back, Mekrin stopped at the giant roots of a fallen tree. Mekrin rolled Mawly from his back and propped her against the upturned roots.

Mekrin sat down besides his sister, removing his work coat and covering her upper body with it while wrapping the arm sleeves around to make a pillow for her. He was rather tired as well, his lustrous blue eyes staring at the roof of trees as he had intended to only take a minor break and then continue.

_…_

…_  
"Now for our final graduate, graduating with extreme honors from the Academy of Invention, Mekrin Starengine!"_

_The sound of a crowd applauding in the distance could be heard as an excited gnome in formal attire ran up on the stage, approaching the podium._

_"Thank you! Thank you! Please turn your attention to the veil behind me, I leave a gift to this academy in thanks for all I have learned here!"_

_Mekrin turns to a large, tarp covered edifice that towered behind the graduation stage._

_"Remove the cover, please!"_

_The crowd gasps with surprise. A prideful grin runs across Mekrin's face as a large monument crafted of hundreds of gear assemblies, sprockets, and other mechanical ingredients is revealed. A deep rumble echoes out as the monument's many rings of varying diameters begin to rotate around one another at a quickening pace. When all the machine's appendages were in motion, the shape of a star was visible. Applause rang out._

_"I leave behind this as a gift to the academy and in remembrance of my grandfather, Filken Starengine! Our family after all was named for-"_

_A thunderous metal groaning wailed out as the edifice began to fall apart, several moving components having become caught on one another. Mekrin turned back to observe with a surprised expression, mouth slightly agape as the machine began to rip itself apart, piece after piece crashing into the ground below it. Mekrin seemed genuinely baffled more than embarrassed. Some of the crowd gasped, the other half laughed. Mekrin returned to the microphone._

_"I apologize! This was absolutely not supposed to happen, I..." Mekrin became lost in thought as a representative of the academy moved him aside, handing him his accolades and awards hastily as Mekrin returned to gazing at his dismantled creation, stumped._

_…_

_Grrr..._

"Hrm..?" Mawly hummed out as she opened her eyes slowly, hands clinging to the coat that was blanketing her as her head rest against the shoulder of her brother whose head was resting atop hers. The trill sounds of snoring coming from Mekrin as he slept. Everything was dark and silhouetted in the night air. Everything was cold.

_Grrr!_

Mawly's eyes shot open as she looked forwards. Not twenty feet from the two was a large, snarling male bear. Mawly could only make it out by the sound of it and the hulking silhouette approaching them with heavy crunches. Mawly shook Mekrin to try and wake him though was careful to not startle the beast into attacking.

"Mekrin!" Mawly whispered shrilly, giving him another heavy shrug as the sleeping gnome's head would just bob from one side to the other. The bear began to draw in closer, sniffing the frozen air as it began to chomp in anticipation for the meal of two gnomes. Mawly stood up on her short legs and gave Mekrin another push, "Mekrin!" The bear charged with a tree shaking roar.

"MEKRIN!" Mawly shouted now as she pulled her hand back and slapped Mekrin loudly across the face. He stirred as he blinked his eyes open just in time to see the bear just about to collide with Mawly who was standing over him. His eyes went wide and for a moment everything seemed surreal.

_BANG!_

The bear howled in pain and toppled forwards, sliding through the ice and rolling over the two, crushing them under its now dead bulk. Mawly groaned, pressed against Mekrin who was forced up against the tree base now.

"Uhnn!" Mawly tried to summon what strength she could to push the dead animal off of them, barely managing to nudge the gigantic corpse. Mekrin's protests were muffled by Mawly's back smooshed up against him. Suddenly the bear's body was pulled away, both of them taking in a desperate inhale as a grizzled looking dwarf stood over them holding a rifle at his side, the barrel smoked from a recently discharged round.

"Eh, what are you two wee little things doin' out here in the dark?" A hearty yet inquiring voice chortled out. The dwarf picked them both up to their feet and wiped the dirt and snow from them as if he was their caretaker.

"Lucky I came by when I did, I heard the news that lots'a ya' had been seen running about the woods in a panic. What's that all about?" The dwarf set the stock of his gun against the ground as if it were a walking cane now.

Mawly looked up appreciatively, as did Mekrin.

"Gnomeregan was invaded by troggs... we're just two of the few that managed to get away. Our whole city is uninhabitable, maybe even destroyed now." Mawly said with a despondent tone. Mekrin chimed in with a cheery demeanor.

"Nothing a bit of welding and wrenching won't fix!" He patted her on the back, she looked to her brother with a rejuvenated smile. The dwarf listened in attentively.

"Ah... gotchya. Well me and some others from Kharanos came out the see if we could find any of ye' stragglin' about. Looks like I managed to eh?" He gave them both rough yet friendly slaps against the shoulders, a smiling expression composed of contorted, bearded lips and small, bright dwarven eyes.

"Well, no use standin' round in the cold! Come with me and we can get ya' out of them tiny knickers." The dwarf began walking in the direction he had come from. Mekrin and Mawly both began to follow side by side. Mekrin ran up besides their savior.

"Thank you indeed!" Mekrin's gnomish cheer rang out with his eccentric timbre.

"You don't perhaps know if we would be able to travel to Ironforge tonight, by chance?"

The dwarf looked at him resolutely while keeping a brisk pace.

"Oh no, I don't think we'll be able to do that now! Too late, best wait till morning! Don't worry though, you can stay at my little hole in the ground till the sun shows up."

Mekrin nodded, Mawly listened in.

"Thank you for your generosity kind sir!" Mekrin grinned widely and returned to Mawly's side.

"He said we can-" Mawly interrupted him abruptly.

"I know what he said! I'm right here, I'm not deaf!" Mekrin nodded and the rest of the trip was in silence except for the padding of their footsteps.

They traveled in the torchlight of the dwarf for some time until they broke the horizon of a hilltop. In the distance were the warm lights of the dwarven town of Kharanos nestled between several hills. Approaching the town they became aware of several dwarfs out and carrying torches, there were even a few gnomes, though none that had been residents of Gnomeregan since it was besieged.

The dwarf led them through the town and into a section that dipped into the hills that was lined with dwarven abodes. Finely crafted masonry and ornaments fit for an experienced hunter adorned the small hovel. There was a bed in one corner and a table with a half eaten meal in another. A fireplace crackled warmly while also lighting the room with the help of several torches placed on the walls. The dwarf turned to them after placing his gun against the wall.

"Me name is Grum, what's yours?" Mekrin was quick to announce himself boldly.

"Mekrin Starengine! A pleasure to meet you." Mekrin offered a hand, Grum chuckled heavily and accepted the gesture before turning to Mawly. She was just about to give her name as well when Mekrin broke back in.

"And this is my younger sister, Mawly Starengine!" Saying their last name always seemed to evoke a tone of pride in Mekrin's voice. Mawly nodded and shook the dwarf's hand as well.

"Thank you for saving us." Mawly offered a pleasant smile, Grum grinned behind his unruly beard.

"Don't mention it lassy." Grum turned back towards the door, grabbing his gun once more.

"I'm headin' back out to help the rest of the search parties, help ye'selves to anything you see." And with that Grum vanished back up the stone staircase that lead back out into the cold.

Mekrin and Mawly looked about the dwarf's den. Mawly finally looked at Mekrin with a curious glare.

"Where's your coat?" Mekrin was clad in not much more than a white gnome-sized undershirt and a pair of heavy duty working breeches. Mekrin looked himself over and then to Mawly.

"You must've dropped it! I covered you with it when I decided to take a break from carrying you for so long." The realization of how Mawly had gotten anywhere in the first place came to her mind as she was quiet for a moment, looking at her older brother before leaning in to embrace him in a hug. Mekrin not having expected it was stunned for a second with confusion, but then returned the affection. The sibling gnomes held each other for a while, Mekrin eager for Mawly to pull away yet his sister remained wrapped against him, head against his shoulder for nearly a minute. Finally she stepped back and nodded.

"I'll get you a new coat." Mawly said apologetically.

"Marvelous!" Mekrin cheered.

Grum had been gone hours, but the sound of the hustle of dwarves outside continued for the entirety of the night. Mekrin and Mawly had fallen asleep atop the bear hide that rest before the fireplace. Both of them had removed their outer layer of clothing and set them before the fireplace to dry. Mekrin was down to his gnomish boxer shorts and Mawly was in a white undershirt and shorts of her own feminine size. Mekrin splayed across the rug, stretched out as gradually though the night Mawly had crawled in her sleep closer to her brother until she slept peacefully with her head stop his chest and her arm wrapped around him. Mekrin snored heavily.

The morning came with the sound of Grum's boisterous shouting.

"Aye! Rise and shine!" The dwarf said merrily though seemingly with little concern for the exhaustion of the sibling's previous ordeal. They stirred from their sleep and looked up, Grum was holding two bowls filled with dwarven porridge and a platter of seared boar meat placed before them.

"Eat up!" Grum chuckled as he went to the table in the corner to begin eating his own breakfast of the same course. Mawly got up and threw her beige overshirt on and then threw her heavy dark brown work coat on over it. Pulling her breeches up and wrapping her toolbelt tightly around her waist. Mekrin had all ready started to eat up his porridge with enthusiastic hunger, occasionally taking a bite of the chopped boar. He would get dressed _after _had breakfast.

"Good stuff! Eh?" Grum was gracious to see Mekrin enjoy his cuisine so ebulliently.

With a mouthful of porridge, Mekrin looked up and nodded eagerly, nodding his head before cleaning his bowl. Mawly ate as well without repulsion, but she conducted herself more reservedly. When the two had finished eating Mekrin got dressed, Grum took their dishes and set them atop his own on the table. Turning back to them he had a satchel hanging from his hand.

"I suspect ye'll be headin' to Ironforge now to look for your kin?" Grum inquired.

Mawly and Mekrin seemed strange about the answer, but Mawly replied.

"It just seems like the best place to go right now. We have a feeling that's where most of the survivors went."

Grum nodded and handed the satchel to Mekrin, who thanked him with exuberant gratitude.

"It's a walk, but ya' can get there before the sun starts settin' I'm sure. There's some supplies to get ya' on your way."

Mawly smiled gracious as Mekrin was all ready sifting through the satchel. There was packs of dried meat, some bread, a flask of water, an assortment of various camping tools such as a knife and a spade, and a packed rope.

"Thank you so much for your help." Mawly offered another handshake.

"Aw, don't worry about it like I said. Just helpin' where I can." Grum waved his hand at the air to reduce the tension of the gesture.

They both nodded as Mekrin tossed the pack around over his back. Grum directed them onto the highway that lead to Ironforge, a few last gestures of gratitude and then they were on their way. Once on the road Mawly turned to Mekrin in stride.

"Why do you think the troggs invaded Gnomeregan?"

Mekrin shook his head and shrugged, he had been oblivious to it the entire time until Mawly had been there to save him.

"I'm not sure! Perhaps they are jealous of gnomish progression?" Mekrin said it almost as if it were a compliment to his race instead of an assumption to the question. Mawly nodded, she always took Mekrin's word as wise even if she did keep more sensible than her older brother who was always in the proverbial clouds of thought.

The two continued to converse about varying theories to why the troggs had invaded their home for some time until the question arose that had been plaguing Mawly's mind.

"Why did Mekkatorque cover Gnomeregan in radiation? It killed more gnomes than troggs! It just made the troggs bigger!" Mekrin studied the question in his mind for a moment, he had great admiration for Mekkatorque so he had trouble coming up with a viable answer.

"I'm sure it was with good intentions, sister!" Once again, Mawly nodded and continued to ponder on her own.

The sun had risen high in the sky at this point, the two gnome siblings were the only ones on the highway leading from Kharanos to Ironforge in either visible direction. In the distance the hills of the dwarven capital came into view over the breaking tree line. They soon began to approach a bridge that spanned a frozen river bed. Once on it Mekrin stopped at the sound of both of their heavy breaths. They had been walking non-stop ever since they left Kharanos and it had been several hours since then.

"Let's take a break, perhaps a snack to raise our strength for the trek up Ironforge mountain!" Mekrin rarely spoke without an optimistic tone to end on, despite the topic. Mawly smiled and sat down with her feet dangling from the edge of the bridge. Mekrin reached in and handed Mawly a handful of break and a piece of dried meat, he gave her the flask of water before sitting down himself next to her and began munching on the remaining loaf of bread.

"What are we going to do?..." Mawly sounded despondent, in thought. Mekrin turned to look at her with a mouth stuffed full of bread.

"What do you mean?" It came out muffled and in a spray of bread crumbs.

"Our home is gone."

Mekrin finished chewing and swallowed the bite.

"We're the grandchildren of Filken Starengine!" Immense admiration flowed from his voice at the mention of their grandfather. "Just because we might of lost a bunch of metal shaped into private quarters doesn't mean we're out of luck. We'll find somewhere else, perhaps at Ironforge!" Mawly couldn't help but be uplifted by her brother's spirit. Though Mawly held an attachment to their old house, the home they had been raised in by their late parents.

Soon they finished their rest and packed up once more, continuing the rest of the way down the stone path until they came to the base of Ironforge mountain. A trail snaked up the side of the hill towards a grand gate to the entrance of the city. Guardsmen stood at the base and looked at them from behind the shade of their helmets. The two began their ascent, occasionally now they would pass another traveler coming to or from the dwarven capital, some of those they passed were prior citizens of Gnomeregan.

Eventually the siblings came to the top and before them carved into the mountainside was the gates of Ironforge.

"Here we are!" Mekrin celebrated as they made their way into the bustling metropolis.

Once in the city the two tiny gnomes looks about, Ironforge saw heavy traffic from all members of the Alliance and Mawly felt significantly shorter at the sight of towering humans and elves.

"Where do we go now?" Mawly inquired.

"I suppose we look for the survivors, surely they all came here!" Mekrin and Mawly stared off into the sea of population, though they were both startled when a hand suddenly rest on both their shoulders and a voice came from behind.

"**Welcome to Ironforge!**"


	3. The Deeprun Tram

_Sorry about my absence! Hopefully I'll have the time to get the story back on track now._

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

_**Chapter 3**_

"Welcome to Ironforge!" came a vociferous greeting as a hand suddenly rest on both Mekrin and Mawly's shoulders. After jostling in surprise, the siblings turned to whoever it had been who had acknowledged them.

"Oh!" Mawly yipped in surprise.

"Heya Mawly!" A young, bright haired gnome diverted his attention completely to her now.

"Hey, Tibolt, I see you made it out of Gnomeregan." Mawly rubbed the back of her head and looked off and away with some discomfort. Mekrin stuck his hand out in greeting and a smile on his bearded face.

Bustling crowds stepped around the three gnomes, much taller races making them seem minuscule. Tibolt turned to Mekrin and gasped, then looked back at Mawly with disbelief in his bright eyes.

"Is this your brother, Mawly? The one you always talk about? Is this-" Tibolt seemingly couldn't keep his youthful excitement contained. Mekrin's pride was all ready swelling, he knew what was coming.

"Mekrin Starengine!" Tibolt looked over Mekrin with astonishment.

"Indeed!" Mekrin's consistent optimism and gnomish pride ringing out boisterously.

"I am- You helped build the- Mawly always talked about- You were the one who-" Tibolt kept cutting himself off in favor of various memories he tried to spew out all at once. Mawly was still looking away as the two conversed. Tibolt's mood soon went a sour though as his brow contorted with agitation.

"You stole all the spotlight from my brother with your stupid toys! You're the reason he didn't get the awards he deserved! Mekrin! You're the reason he left the academy! He should have been the one to graduate with extreme honors!" Tibolt seemed genuinely angry about past transgressions. Mekrin's pride dropped for a moment in confusion to what Tibolt was insinuating.

"What are you talking about? I never intentionally stole anything from anyone!" Mekrin tried to clear the accusations being set before him. Tibolt fumed.

"Don't you remember? Or has your head only gotten fatter with undeserved praise?" Tibolt explained further the source of his anger. Mawly looked back up with a stern look as she stepped between Mekrin and Tibolt, glaring defensively in Tibolt's eyes .

"Shut up, your brother left because he decided to. Mekrin didn't make him do anything." Mekrin was more puzzled than anything as Mawly suddenly intervened about an issue he had no clue about.

Tibolt looked Mawly eye to eye with a less aggressive stare, though his small posture was still very aggressive.

"This isn't about you, Mawly, it's about your cheat of a brother!" Tibolt started to ramble more about personal charges against Mekrin.

"Who is your brother?" Mekrin asked curiously, without a hint of anger or retaliation in his voice. Tibolt seemed all the more insulted from the question.

"Who is my-..! You don't remember do you you arrogant farce!" Tibolt had to pause a moment to catch his breath, in his fluster he had spoken so quickly and harshly he had emptied his lungs.

"My brother! Higle Gearshot! I'm his little brother, Tibolt Gearshot!" Tibolt stepped aside from Mawly to look Mekrin in the eyes once more. Mekrin was taller than the other two, though by gnomish standard Mekrin was fully grown while Mawly and Tibolt were adolescent. No discernible difference could be made from afar amidst their small size.

Mekrin pondered for a moment, recollecting his memory with his hand against his bristled chin, then it came to him.

"Oh! I remember Higle, he was a junior engineer at the Academy of Invention when I was! How is Higle?" Mekrin seemed rather fond of the memory of his former class mate actually, while Tibolt was nothing but agitated further.

"Weren't you listening? He left the academy after losing to you in the Innovator's Competition, he should have been the one to receive that award!" Tibolt was visibly angry at the recollection of these memories. Mawly stepped in between them once more, Mekrin all the while sifting through memories with a calm demeanor.

"My brother has done nothing wrong, it's not his fault he's the better engineer. All your brother made was weapons!" Mawly defended Mekrin adamantly, almost as much as Tibolt seemed infuriated about his own brother's defeat.

"My brother made more than weapons! He came up with the plans to build a defense grid that could have saved Gnomeregan from the troggs! He never got that chance though because all that funding went to your hack of a brother who used it to do absolutely nothing!" Tibolt took in another breath, exhausting himself in his vigorous altercation.

Mawly seemed ready to strike Tibolt with a clenched fist at her side before Mekrin brushed her aside once more, looking at Tibolt kindly.

"Higle is a great engineer, I only won the Innovator's Competition because the judges want something that would better the lives of Gnomeregan citizens and your brother presented a tool of destruction, albeit an intricately designed one!" Mekrin seemed to actually offer praise, despite the insults he had been bombarded with all ready.

"My brother's inventions could have saved Gnomeregan! Yours... You made a light-bulb!" Tibolt rose a fist in exasperation.  
"Ah, but not just any light-bulb! I invented a source of lighting that required no-" Mekrin began to explain his contest winning entry but Tibolt quickly cut him off.

"I don't care! You're nothing compared to Higle! I guess it's worth saying I'm glad your stupid statue fell apart at the graduation ceremony, it was made by a novice of course." Tibolt attempted to pierce Mekrin's pride, but Mekrin only seemed to get lost in reflection of the event in question.

Mawly didn't care much for her brother being called such awful things though, curling her fist back she planted it abruptly against Tibolt's cheek, bruising it as he staggered back.

"Ack!" Tibolt placed his hand against his now swelling face.

"Watch your mouth." Mawly was getting rather annoyed herself.

Tibolt looked at Mawly with a dejected stare, correcting his posture from the blow.

"This doesn't change how I feel about you, Mawly, just because your brother is washed up doesn't mean I think you are!" Tibolt expressed an underlying infatuation he had for Mawly. She and Tibolt had been in the same class at the engineer's academy several grades below Higle and Mekrin.

Mawly pulled her fist back once more and Tibolt put his hands up in surrender, pausing Mawly enough before running off through the tall crowds of Ironforge. Mekrin continued to think off into the distance as Mawly turned back to him.

"He's just jealous, and immature. I know for a fact he admired you before his brother lost in that contest."

Mekrin looked up from his pondering.

"Hm? Oh! I'm not worried, I admire his conviction!" Mekrin smiled brightly, Mawly sighed and then returned an unavoidable grin from her brother's unshakable optimism.

"Right, well... we've wasted enough time. Let's see if we can find the other survivors from Gnomeregan." Mawly suggested, Mekrin agreed with a nod. To their luck a passing dwarven guard had been listening the whole time from his post.

"Eh, not ta' be a bother... I couldn't help listenin' to yer' scuffle and I hear you're lookin' for the other gnomes?" The two siblings turned to him.

"Yes! We are, do you know where they are?" Mawly inquired.

"Well I hear rumor that some gnome named Mekkatorque is with King Magni right now discussin' lots'a things. I also hear that the rest of your kin is gathered around the tram tunnel." The guard pointed off in the distance, Ironforge formed a ring that wrapped around a central point of interest.

Mawly thanked the dwarf for his help and they began off in the way they were directed. It was also subsequently the direction Tibolt had run off in. Mawly and Mekrin soon found their way to a section of Ironforge that had originally been designed for gnomes visiting from Gnomeregan. Tinker Town.

It was reminiscent of their former city, but no where near the size. As they passed through the clockwork gate of Tinker Town they could hear the roar and bustle of frantic gnomes shouting and demanding from one another.

_What are we going to do?  
Where is Mekkatorque?  
Why did the troggs attack __**us**__?  
_  
And a cacophony born from countless other cries for answer. Mawly and Mekrin assimilated with the crowd. The gathering of gnomes was shoulder to shoulder, they had to push their way through to get anywhere. Crates of supplies had been delivered to Tinker Town to accommodate the increased population; food, water, blankets and pillows had all been brought for the survivors.

Mekrin and Mawly managed to get some space by entering the tram tunnel that Tinker Town centered around. The two sat down, backs against the railing of the tunnel catwalk that spanned the huge turbine of gears that encircled the tunnel. Mawly sighed, looking down at her lap.

"What's going to happen to us?" Mawly looked over to Mekrin, who was all ready busy admiring the craftsmanship of the Deeprun Tram. Mawly repeated her question again after getting Mekrin's attention with a nudge.

"I suppose... we wait for Mekkatorque! He must be talking with the dwarven king about something very important, we just need to be patient!" All the while he spoke, Mekrin seemed pre-occupied to a degree with the tram as he studied it in his mind ardently. Mawly accepted her brother's answer and found comfort in it, looking back to the crowd of panicked gnomes.

As time passed Mekrin grew restless, Mawly had begun to doze off in her idling. Mekrin stood up just in time to alert Mawly to consciousness once more.

"I'm going to look at the tram." Mekrin had all ready started walking down the whirring tunnel. Mawly jumped to her feet and followed, to her it was better than just sitting there waiting for their leader to show up.

As they entered the tram docking zone Mekrin beamed with enthusiasm for all the mechanical wonders they surrounded them. The Deeprun tram had been crafted completely by the gnomes, and so it resembled the aesthetic of Gnomeregan and Tinker Town closely.

_Rurrrrrrrr!_

Down one of the immensely extensive tram tunnels came the sound of metal whispering, which grew to a loud humming as a series of mechanical constructs connected to an overhead railing that buzzed with electricity. On the constructs several passengers disembarked; several citizens of Ironforge were waiting at the cold steel benches. They got up and boarded the tram.

"Oh! Let's ride the tram!" Mawly seemed rejuvenated by the potential to do something other than sit around in the depressing clamor of Tinker Town. Mekrin looked to his sister and nodded fervently.

"I was about to suggest the same thing!"

The two hurried over to the tram and boarded an empty construct just as twirling lights overhead went from a green overcast to a red, a small alarm ringing out as the gates of the tram shut with a slam. The tram came to motion soon afterwards, Mekrin and Mawly having all ready found seats near the middle of the tram cart that followed behind three more ahead of it. Soon the tram picked up its momentum and speed and began traveling quickly through the extensive tunnel.

Lights came and passed by in an instant, casting shadows in every direction as the tram wailed through the underpass. The two looked about curiously, Mekrin observing and studying the architecture of everything around them. Mawly just enjoyed the ride, being an engineer herself though she didn't possess the same unbound passion for invention that Mekrin had.

Soon the tram passed out into a blue haze, the loud whirring of the tram was drowned out by the sudden presence of the ocean that surrounded them as the tram passed through a transparent passage under the sea.

"Oh my!" Mawly chirped with excitement.

"Have you never been on this before, Mawly?" Mekrin turned to Mawly from her sudden outburst of wonder. Mawly shook her head.

"Nope, I've never been this far away from Gnomeregan!" This seemed to come as a surprise to Mekrin, but he didn't say anything further and returned to his admiring gazes of all the surrounded.

The ride continued on for quite some time, the quiet rumbling of the sea overhead created a soothing atmosphere. Mawly sat contently while for the first time in a while Mekrin seemed to frown to himself, even while given the chance to observe one of the greatest feats of Gnomish engineering. In his mind Mekrin was thinking about Gnomeregan, but not just the city itself, but something that had been left behind in the chaos.

Mawly finally glanced at her brother, noticing the slightest contortion behind his large green beard in the shape of a grimace. This was unusual in her brother so much so that Mawly audibly gasped, hands coming to clasp over her mouth to quickly stifle the sound of surprise.

"Oh my gosh! What's wrong Mekrin?" Mawly rarely if ever saw her brother frowning.

Mekrin quickly turned his head to Mawly, deep blue eyes that always held an indomitable luster of optimism still sparkled in the blue shining of the sea. Mekrin smiled widely.

"Nothing! It's just been a tiring day, so much has happened!" Mekrin forced a giggle with gnomish timbre.

Mawly breathed a sigh of relief, even if she didn't fully believe him. The shorter sibling snuggled closer to him, leaning into him with what she would hope was a comforting snuggle. The rest of the tram ride went on in silence if not for the constant monotone of whirring and whistling machinery. Soon the sea was once again cut off by the cold flickering of electrical lights in the tram tunnel, and soon the construct began to slow as it approached a port similar to the one they had left in Ironforge.

The tram stopped, and what few passengers there had been disembarked all but Mekrin and Mawly.

"We'd better head back to Ironforge, I'm sure something has happened by now." Mawly said, having enjoyed the tram ride and now the realization once more that their people were in a time of turmoil returned. Mekrin nodded.

The automated lights of the tram switched and flickered through varying indicative colors. Soon the constructs jostled, preparing to disembark once more as the gate sirens grinded out, preparing to close. Just as the gate slid shut a tall, dark haired human male quickly stepped onto the platform, beating the closing gate. Mawly looked at him out of the corner of her eye, Mekrin was preoccupied in thought as always.

The human man stood over six feet tall, colossal to the two tiny siblings. He fidgeted with the pockets of his rather decadent attire, he dressed in the garb of a noble house of Stormwind. Soon the tram began to once again return to motion, heading back in the direction in which it came from. The noble quickly took a seat, just so happening to sit right next to Mekrin.

The tan skinned man looked down at the two gnomes beneath his dark eyebrows, Mawly was glancing back up at him non chalantly.

Finally the noble extended a large hand in Mekrin's direction, this finally awoke the pondering gnome just as the human spoke.

"Galic Brighthorse, a pleasure." His voice deep yet refined, devoid of the squeaky pitch common with gnomes. Mekrin saw only another excuse to declare his own name, his chest all ready swelling with pride. He took, with an effort, the human's hand and they exchanged the gesture for only a moment.

"Mekrin Starengine!" Mekrin's narcissism echoed far down the tram tunnel. Galic chuckled.

"Never have I heard of you, Mekrin Starengine, but the way in which you declare yourself leads me to believe I should." A smile behind Galic's dark mustache lessened Mawly's distrust, which had been growing the entire time. Except for the dwarfs, Mawly wasn't especially fond of the other, larger races if only due to the limited contact she had had with them, isolated in Gnomeregan most of her life.

"And who is this?" Galic turned his sagacious gaze to Mawly, sizing her up as she clung to Mekrin.

"Mawly Starengine." Mekrin had started to announce his younger sister as usual, but Mawly had cut him off to say her own name with a more calm demeanor. Galic eyes sharpened as he noted the suspicious glaring Mawly was directing to him.

Beyond the formalities, the sound of tram wailing back on its way to Ironforge was the only noise to break what was for Mawly, an uncomfortable silence.

**"Always a pleasure to meet one of your kind."**


	4. Famed Schematic

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

_**Chapter 4**_

"Pardon my questioning, I'm just trying to make the traveling go faster, but what are two gnomes doing all alone on the tram at this hour?" Galic asked with the insinuation that it was very late. Now that Mawly thought about it, they had been on the tram for quite a while, the excitement of being somewhere new had temporarily dulled their sense of time.

"We could hardly contain ourselves when granted the opportunity to see the Deeprun Tram, our grandfather..." Mekrin actually seemed to pause to prepare himself to do their grandfather justice when speaking his name, filling his lungs.

"Our grandfather, Filken Starengine, helped to build this grand example of gnomish brilliance!" Mekrin's voice, as always, was saturated with satisfaction at the mention of Filken.

Galic's brow rose with curiosity and interest.

"Oh? I'd imagine the grandchildren of someone capable of constructing such a monolith would be no less brilliant." Galic smiled in a complimenting fashion. Mekrin's ego swelled, Mawly remained silent.

"Though tremendous in itself, the Deeprun Tram was not our grandfather's paramount accomplishment!" Mekrin's tongue had been loosened, he loved to recall memories of stories about their grandfather. Galic's interest only grew, his expression becoming ever more intrigued and concentrated on Mekrin, who continued to sermonize about Filken.

"As you may know, it is Gnomish custom that a family be named after an ancestor's greatest achievement. This is cause for many name changes over generations as a descendant may surpass the accomplishment for which the family is currently named, that gnome's name then usually taking on a reference to their own talent." Mekrin drew in a breath to continue, speaking far too fast and with far too much excitement.

"Our name, Starengine, is from our grandfather Filken's accomplishment." Mekrin's voice trailed for a moment, as if his very thoughts and reminiscence were drawing him into an awe induced stupor. His voice became gentler, quieter, now containing a serious reverence.

"The Star Engine, a schematic drawn up by our grandfather containing the designs and components for constructing a what can only be described as an evolution in not just Gnome technology, but for all practices of engineering!"

"Supposedly~" Mawly whispered in condescendingly, her own tone contrasting Mekrin's. Mekrin paused and turned to Mawly, Galic only observed and listened.

"Yes! Mawly, you know as well as I do that our grandfather's schematic was very real and worth all the adoration one can express in a lifetime!" Mekrin's optimism was overpowering to Mawly's own remarks. Mawly's brow furrowed angrily, she sat back further from Mekrin now.

"Our parents are gone for a silly piece of paper!" Her crystal blue eyes began to become misty, her voice cracking with sudden emotion. For the moment, it seemed as if Galic wasn't there.

"Only father left to go look for the schematic, Mawly." Mekrin said bluntly, almost in a manner in which to control the conversation.

"And then mom went to go look for him after he was gone for months! _NONE_ of them ever came back! Not grandpa, not dad, and not mom! All of them left because of some stupid schematic!"

Mekrin was quiet for a moment, and the only sounds were of Mawly's heavy breathing and the sounds of the tram. Galic finally broke the silence, his deep voice overpowering all other distractions.

"Quite a tale, but I can see that it has upset your sister. I'll trouble you no longer with my questionings." Galic turned his gaze forwards, and for the rest of the tram ride the three rode in silence. Mawly eventually went to sit three seats down from Mekrin, every now and then the sounds of a sniff or sob came from her direction as she kept herself turned away from the other two.

The tram soon came to a halt at Ironforge once again, Mawly was quick to hop off of the seats and walk briskly back to Tinker Town, disappearing in a crowd. Mekrin frowned but got off at his own pace, Galic standing at his side as they looked to each other before departing.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you Mekrin Starengine, I expect our paths will cross again one day." Galic smiled beneath his mustache.

Mekrin nodded, though his mood wasn't as jovial as it usually was.

"Indeed." Though Galic's remark about meeting again perturbed him.

"Wait, what did you come to Ironforge for?"

Though Galic had all ready turned and begun to make his way through Tinker Town, the tall human easily discernible amongst all the gnomes in the distance till vanishing in the large expanses of Ironforge.

Mekrin sighed and went back to Tinker Town, things had seemingly calmed down and there was actually quite a few familiar faces running around now. One more immediately noticed than the others though was an aged gnome standing near a large assembly of gears.

**Gelbin Mekkatorque**


	5. Assignment

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

_**Chapter 5**_

A widely recognized voice amongst all those who had spent any amount of time in Gnomeregan came clamoring out, that of Gelbin Mekkatorque as he stood atop a large assembly of gears that overlooked Tinker Town.

"Everyone! Your attention please!" The cacophony of the crowd soon began to die down, one after another everyone's attention turning to Mekkatorque.

"I know everyone must be in quite a shock after the past few days, but I have good news!" The crowd had all ready begun to murmur and rumor.

"The dwarfs, as they have in the past, have informed me that they will be more than accommodating to our plight for help. All prior Gnomeregan citizens will have arrangements made for them by me and my staff personally, this will take some time though given the amount of processing this will take till each and every gnome is taken care of. In the meantime, I have offered the dwarfs our unconditional support in anything they need, so all able bodied gnomes need to see me in the next few moments."

Gelbin motioned with a clipboard he had in hand.

"All right, I know this is a trying time for all of us but we, of all people, will adapt! We will rebuild a home for ourselves and one day, Gnomeregan will be ours once more!" A hail of gnomish cheer echoed out, and the crowd begun to disperse amidst Tinker Town.

Mekrin looked about, his smile ear to ear to hear one of his idols speak so confidently about the situation.

_I knew he had everything under control!_

Mawly was no where to be seen, the large concentration of gnomish residents made it impossible to pick any one gnome out of the large crowd. Mekrin walked over to where Mekkatorque, surrounded by an entourage of gnomish and dwarfish body guards along with other representatives of the higher Gnomeregan caste had set out a processing station that had all ready begun to develop a line.

Mekrin quickly acquired a place in line, patiently waiting till he was brought up before Mekkatorque who was writing expeditiously on document after document, passing finished papers off to another member of his staff who then began the process all over again. Mekkatorque looked up.

"Next!"

Mekrin gulped, his hands twiddling at one another with excitement. Gelbin's expression brightened, and an acute chuckle passed by his gray bearded lips.

"Starengine, yes?" Mekkatorque's voice had a hint of excitement in it, but he remained professional.

Mekrin nodded eagerly, to hear Gelbin speak his beloved name was a treat in all its own.

"Yes! Mekrin Starengine, graduate with honors of the Academy of Invention, grandson of-" Gelbin quickly interrupted Mekrin's full biography.

"Filken, yes, a good friend! I'm glad to see you made it out of Gnomeregan, we have need of your exceptional talents!" Gelbin smiled encouragingly as he looked over his papers.

"I won't bore you with political details to the nature of your assistance. Report to the Ironforge Airport, Starengine. I'm sending some of our brightest engineers to help the dwarfs with a mechanical problem, it's the least we can do when we have been showed so much hospitality." Gelbin looked back down at his papers, scribbled a bit, then passed it off to the staff member on his right.

"Next!"

The line continued to file, a dwarfish escort had been assigned to Mekrin and they now made their way to Ironforge airport. On foot the walk took nearly an hour, the whole while Mekrin's escort remained silent. Soon they came to an ascending building within Ironforge's military ward, a spiral staircase proceeded up for ages until finally the cold air of Dun Morogh buffeted Mekrin. It was dawn, though it seemed much darker for the cold gray clouds in the sky.

"Here ye' be, the others are directly across the landing strip in the first hangar." And with that, the escort vanished back down the staircase. Mekrin wrapped his arms about himself, he saw the cloud of his breath rise and dissipate in front of him as he hurriedly scampered across the expansive, snow splashed runways.

Soon he came to the large structure he had been directed towards, a mixture of dwarfish masonry and gnomish engineering had constructed a facility that housed a large portion of Ironforge's air fleet. Mekrin stepped in through an open bay door, quickly rewarded with a blanket of heat that radiated from several crackling braziers in the hangar.

The sounds of wrenching, soldering, hammering, and a clamor of other noises echoed throughout the hangar. Mekrin brushed the snow from his beard and stepped over to a gathering of gnomes surrounding a grizzled looking dwarf in military attire.

"All right, looks like yer' all about here now then! Since ye'v so kindly offered yer' services, heres the job." The dwarf took a moment to draw at a stone pipe in his mouth, huffing a cloud of smoke afterwards.

"Won't say why, won't say who dunnit, but 'bout damn all of our combat flyers have been trashed, all we got now is a bunch'a scrap and parts that most've us can't do squat with. You gnomes though gotta knack for this kinda stuff, 'n Magni let us know the best of the best was'a comin' to help."

Mekrin looked about, some of the faces he recognized from the Academy of Invention.

"Right, on'ta business. Do what ya' can and start rebuildin' our fleet, if ya' need anythin' let me know." The dwarf stepped down and marched off to another section of the hangar.

The group of gnomes, along with Mekrin, looked over the large pile of scrap metal, discarded mechanical parts, and half built air machines. Mekrin's eyes flickered with excitement, a twiddle of his mustache and all ready he was rebuilding the machines in his mind.

"Ey!" A group of dwarfs in soot covered linens approached.

"'Ere here to do all tha' heavy liftin', just let us know!" One dwarf in particular seemed to seem more focused, looking into the crowd of gnomes.

"Ah! Look'it here!" Over came Grum, covered head to toe in oil and grime as he grabbed Mekrin by the hand, dirtying it instantly. Mekrin took a moment but suddenly returned the excited sentiment with a cheer of his own.

"Oh! Hello once again!"

Grum pulled his hand back and let a reverberating guffaw reverberate out. Mekrin rubbed his chin with his clean hand, something catching him off guard and giving cause for thought.

"I thought you lived in-"

"Called ta' service small boots!" Grum was a step ahead, he figured Mekrin would most likely wonder why they had left his hovel only slightly more than a day ago for Ironforge for him to be here now.

"Service?"

"Ya', trouble brewin' with those unsavory Dark Irons but that's 'bout all I was told! Bunch'a Magni's boys come howling down in Kharanos yankin' us pilots right out of our beds!"

Mekrin contemplated a moment, if only to give himself clarification on all the details he had heard in the past hour. Other gnome and dwarf teams had all ready begun moving parts about.

"I see, well let's get to work indeed!" Mekrin said cheerily as he begun examining the parts, Grum standing idly by as suddenly Mekrin clapped his hands.

"I will need this, this, this and this moved to a construction bay!" Mekrin pointed out several large seemingly broken air ship components, returning to thought for a moment and then chirping out once more.

"And a whole lot of bolts, nuts, copper wire, and fuel!" Mekrin reached to his hip, but the tool belt he grasped for had been lost in Gnomeregan.

"And a set of tools!"

Hours went by, Grum with the assistance of other nearby dwarfs hauled heavy airship parts about as Mekrin toiled away, scrapping everything from it he intended to use and discarding the rest which he requested be smelted and recycled back into engineering materials.

The sun was high in the sky now, what had begun as a pile of scrap metal was now a construction bay filled with quickly completing aircraft. Basic flyers all ready littered the bay, but at Mekrin's end of the hangar a much sleeker, intricate machine was beginning to develop. Mekrin had been given a fresh working attire, tool belt, and set of safety goggles. The green haired gnome was now dirtied and covered with grease, his hands deftly applying, tightening, and adjusting. Mekrin was completely lost in his work, focused away from everything else around him otherwise he would have noticed another gnome approaching.

"Mekrin, still building junk I see!" Came an aggressive gnomish voice. Mekrin pulled his goggles up and looked over to whom had just called him out.

"Higle!"

Higle Gearshot stood paces from Mekrin's construction, looking it over with a pretentious glare. His moppy brown hair was matted with oil, like all the others who had been working in the hangar.

"That's right, I see you got out of Gnomeregan on that same dumb luck that you passed through the Academy with." Another gnome approached, snickering and now standing next to Higle. It was Tibolt.

"What's this scrap?" Tibolt squeaked in, mocking Mekrin's aircraft. Mekrin, smiling in a friendly demeanor was more than glad to elaborate.

"The dwarfs' design needed some sprucing up! It was too fragile, I'm working on a new aircraft design that has been reinforced without adding any extra weight, also I'm designing additional defensive component to keep the pilot-"

"Worthless, got it." Higle interrupted.

"If you want to see what someone who truly deserved the accolades of the Academy can craft, then feel free to come over to our corner." With that, Higle turned and with him Tibolt went back down the direction they had come from.

"Friends of yours, eh?" Grum chuckled. Mekrin nodded.

"Mhmm! The Gearshots also attended the Academy of Invention, their competitive spirit has always impressed me!" Mekrin truly felt companionship with Tibolt and Higle, regardless of their more conceited attacks against his own merit.

"Right, well back to this thing yer' buildin'." Grum returned to a nearby forge, smelting down more scrap parts as requested by Mekrin.

Mekrin paused for a moment, looking down the hangar. He eagerly wanted to see what Higle was building, but more so he wanted to finish his own prototype.

**"Indeed! Back to work."**


	6. A Gnome Named Diggy

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

_**Chapter 6**_

Mawly sat atop a heavy wooden crate in the dim lighting of a storage room in the back areas of Tinker Town. She looked down at her hanging feet as they bounced idly against the crate.

_I don't know why he thinks he was so great. It's because of him that our parents are gone._

She looked up, rubbing her wrist against her eyes and breathing in with a sniff. She could hear Mekkatorque speaking.

"All right, I know this is a trying time for all of us but we, of all people, will adapt! We will rebuild a home for ourselves and one day, Gnomeregan will be ours once more!"

_So optimistic. I bet Mekrin is eating it up._

Mawly hopped from the crate and landed quietly on the cold floor of the storage chamber, she had come here after leaving the tram randomly, not knowing where anything was. It was the quietest place she could find.

_Enough babbling._

She wiped her eyes once more left the room and back out into the main chamber of Tinker Town. She slipped unnoticed back into the crowd so as not to draw any awkward attention. A line had formed and now Mawly was at the back of it, she had been listening to the entire ordeal echoing throughout Tinker Town.

Time went by and Mawly remained quietly in the line, occasionally she looked about to see if she could spot Mekrin to no such luck. A heavy sigh passed her lips as the line stretched far into the distance, Mawly was practically back in the tram tunnel once more.

Hours passed and finally something happened, Mawly now roughly in the middle of the line noticed gnomes starting to leave and disperse throughout Tinker Town.

"All right, that's it for now! We'll process more tomorrow!" Came the shouting of Mekkatorque as his staff was gathering up arm fulls of papers and lead by an escort of guards to a private area of Tinker Town reserved for officials, Mekkatorque vanishing with them.

Mawly groaned, having waited in the line for nothing it seems. She gave another look around for Mekrin to no avail, she hadn't seen him since the tram.

_Now what?_

Mawly ran her fingers through her vibrant green hair and started to think when she heard a sound through the rumble of gnomes all around her. Someone was crying.

She looked around and spotted a gnome child, nigh lost in the crowd of gnomes curled up against a far wall. Mawly looked for any possible parents and saw no one tending to the child. She went over to the little boy.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mawly asked, looking down at the child. The little gnome looked up at Mawly and wiped away a tear. He started to speak with a distressed look across his face, Mawly could only guess what had happened as he tried to explain himself through choked words and tears.

"Hey hey hey." Mawly said in a soothing, comforting tone.

"Calm down, it's all right. Let's find your parents." The little boy howled out with more weeping, Mawly looked around to see if this was drawing any more attention, holding her hands up in a desperate attempt to quiet the child. Finally he managed to get a word out, albeit just one.

"Trr...! Troo... Troggs!" Spoke the little boy, followed by more weeping. Mawly assumed his parents had been attacked by troggs in the escape.

She sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his tiny shoulders and hugged him up against her with a less than confident look on her face, mostly feeling awkward by his noisy tears.

"Hey..." Mawly tried to think of something on the spot.

"Let's go find a game to play, how about that?"

The little gnome child sniffled and wiped away more tears on his sleeve, looking up to Mawly now. The faintest sparkle of interest breaking his distraught expression. He just nodded. Mawly stood up and took his hand, helping him up to his feet as she begun looking for anything that could possibly be considered a game.

"What's your name?" Mawly looked down at him, his eyes had dried up for the most part and now looked up at her brightly.

"Diggy."

"That's a good name!"

Diggy finally giggled behind his fingers which were currently being gnawed on nervously, blushing.

Mawly lead Diggy out of Tinker Town, which at the moment was nothing but sad faces and busy hands, there were no games to play there. Now in the other expanses of Ironforge Mawly and Diggy walked for quiet some time, their gnome sized legs not carrying them anywhere fast. They soon began to pass by a place filled with high archways and behind them were rooms filled with bookshelves stacked to the ceiling, a large skeleton of some flying beast hung suspended by wires in the air.

Diggy looked up at the pterrordax skeleton, his eyes going wide as he gasp lightly behind his soaking fingers. Mawly joined him in his awe, she had never seen anything of the sort either as they both wandered hand in hand into the Hall of Explorers.

They looked around at all the displays, giant skeletons, relics of ancient history, and more till they lost track of time. Mawly was just as interested, practically astonished by all the wonders in the Hall but more importantly she was glad she had managed to get her new companion to think about something else, it helped her think about something else as well.

"Grand, ain't it?" Came a gruff sounding voice from behind, a dwarf.

Mawly turned with Diggy to see that a dwarf had joined them as they gazed over all the exhibits.

"Oh! Sorry, I think we've gotten ourself lost and wandered too far from Tinker Town!"

"'Tis fine lassy, all are welcome here 's long as ya' don't get too touchy! The name's Muninn Magellas, Explorer's League." He looked up at the endless collections of written knowledge lining the walls, breathing out a heavy whistle.

"I never get tired'a seein' all the things we've dug up, found, 'n otherwise discovered about the history of our world." Muninn looked at Diggy, his eyes becoming playful and bright.

"Oi! And who's this lil' bruiser?" Muninn lowered himself, squatting to be closer to Diggy's eye level as Diggy started to hide behind Mawly shyly.

"Ah, whatchya runnin' from? Scared of an old dwarf?"

Diggy came back out from behind Mawly, chest puffed out as he swung shortly at Muninn with his open palm as if to defend his own honor, embarrassed. Muninn gasped and laughed boisterously.

"Looks like I was wrong! 'Bout took me beard off with that viscious swing!" Mawly smiled, Diggy laughed again while holding Mawly's hand in one hand with his other in his mouth once again.

"My name is Mawly, his name is Diggy from what he says." Mawly looking down at the gnome boy now, Muninn stood back on his feet.

"What, ya' sayin' you're not his sister er' mother?" Mawly blushed at the mother mention, shaking her head.

"Oh! No, shh! He got separated from his parents when Gnomeregan was invaded from what I gather." Diggy was now looking at the ground despondently.

"Ah, terrible news indeed. Sorry ta' hear it." Muninn's voice was empathetic.

"Well, we'd best be back off to Tinker Town, I think we've been gone long enough."

"Come back by any time, 'n bring this warrior with ye'! I'm always 'round." Muninn then nodded with a bearded smile and went off further into the Hall of Explorer's.

Mawly lead Diggy back to Tinker Town, things had calmed and quieted and several temporary domiciles had been set up. An infirmary had been established that housed many injured gnomes now, dwarven priests had come to assist with the injured as Diggy's eyes widened and he ran from Mawly's grasp.

"Hey!" Mawly chased after him.

"Don't go in there, it's not a place to pl-" but she was cut off as Diggy hopped up on a cot that had a heavily bandaged and splinted gnome on it.

"Papa!" Diggy shouted as he embraced the injured gnome, who looked up from his rest and grinned behind his wounds.

"Oh! Digol! There you are!" Said the gnome weakly as he pulled the younger one closer with his unrestrained arm. The bandaged gnome finally looked from his son to Mawly.

"Have you been taking care of Digol?" But before another word came out a dwarven priestess came over.

"Eye', yer' supposed ta' be restin'! No condition to be horsin' around!" She came over and pulled Diggy from him, brushing him back to Mawly and motioning for them to leave the infirmary. The bandaged gnome frowned, but then smiled once again and looked at Mawly he had only observed, surprised the entire time.

"Take care of Digol a little bit longer, please?" The gnome father then fell unconscious from exhaustion, his words all ready had begun to trail off weakly.

"Shoo! If ye' ain't hurt then ye' don't belong here!" The priestess encouraged them more forcefully this time to leave the infirmary, Mawly taking Diggy's hand and heading back out into Tinker Town proper once more.

Mawly looked down at Diggy, who was beginning to tear up once more. She got down to his level and looked him in the eye, her deep blue eyes meeting his own dark brown hues.

"Hey, we'll come back to see your dad soon all right?" She worked to finally convince Diggy to come with her to the other temporary domociles.

There weren't many, but there were a handful of temporary bedding areas left and Mawly lead Diggy to them and sat him down in one, taking one adjacent to his. It finally came back to her how tired she was, sitting in a bed finally bringing back all her own weariness.

Soon Diggy had fallen asleep, head against a wool pillow and covered in a linen blanket. Mawly lay awake a bit longer, if only recollecting on her own thoughts. She turned on her side and looked at the cold floor from her cot.

_**Where are you?**_


	7. Engineered for War

**The Star Engine**  
by Somniums  
_R&R!_

_**Chapter 7**_

"Ey', I'm gonna get a few winks, it's gotten late." Grum said as he wiped his dripping forehead with the back of his hand, smearing oil in the place of sweat. Mekrin was currently up under the large construction that had gradually taken the shape of an unusually large aircraft. Tarps and chains hung about it, covering and holding up components that had yet to be fully assembled in. Mekrin poked his soot covered face out, flipping up his goggles to reveal two clean circles around his otherwise dirtied face.

"Oh? Is it late all ready?" Mekrin's voice had no fatigue in it.

"Eh, a bit. We been attit' for 'bout ten'r twelve hours, Mekrin." Grum said, stretching out and letting loose a yawn fit for a bear.

"Hm, well, all right then! Off to bed with you, can't work if your eyes can't stay open!" Mekrin chuckled, and slid back under the aircraft, the sound of wrenching crackling back out from under it.

"Ye' should get some rest as well." Grum said in a half yawn, all ready turning towards a back room behind their hangar that had several cots in it. The wrenching stopped momentarily.

"Right, right! Just a few more adjustments and I shall do just that!" The grinding resumed.

Grum slapped at the air and mumbled, disappearing into the backroom. Soon the heavy sounds of snoring came rumbling out.

Three more hours passed, Mekrin finished all the assembling he could without Grum or other assistance. The hangar had emptied for the most part, some had returned to Ironforge for the night while others stayed in the hangar bed rooms.

Mekrin looked about, several teams of gnomes and dwarfs had completed several flyers by now while he and Grum had yet to finish one, though it didn't bother Mekrin in the least. He looked over his unfinished creation with a satisfied grin, running his gloved hand over the main hull of it.

The tireless gnome then looked himself over, arms outstretched and goggles against his forehead.

"My, I've gotten filthy!" Mekrin chirped as he moved over to a nearby cleaning barrel and dipped a work rag in it, wetting it and then scrubbing his face clean. Once his face and beard were somewhat free of grime he went into the bedding area where Grum and a few others lay growling in their sleep. Mekrin removed his outer most layer of work attire and hopped up on a bed. Just as he began to go to sleep the first few shafts of sunlight began to peek in through a small window in the back of the room.

_…_

_Mff...  
_  
Mawly turned on her side, her eyes opening slightly as she begun to awaken. The small silhouette of a gnome stood by her bedside.

"Er... Mekrin?" Mawly's voice still full of sleep.

"Wake up!" Diggy's voice trilled out.

Mawly finally begun to sat up, rubbing her eyes as she looked around. Her hair was disheveled and a mess, she felt like she had been asleep for years.

"Wake up!" Diggy repeated.

"I'm awake." Mawly yawned.

Mawly hopped off of the cot and looked out into Tinker Town, the line had reformed but there was barely anyone in it now. She quickly threw on her coat and ran over to the line, she didn't want to be cut off this time. Diggy was quick to follow behind Mawly.

The line shifted forwards swiftly, soon Mawly was standing before Gelbin Mekkatorque, rings of stress under his eyes but as he looked up he was no less charismatic in his expressive smile.

"And you are..." Mekkatorque licked his bearded lips, thinking.

"Mawly Starengine." Mawly said, not having really expected the King of Gnomes to identify her effortlessly.

"Starengine! No doubt related to Filken or Mekrin, hmm?" The mention of Mekrin peaked Mawly's interest.

"Have you seen Mekrin?" Mawly asked in a rushed tone, now more focused on learning where her brother may have gotten to. Diggy stood silent behind Mawly, gripping at her idle hand.

"Indeed I have." Gelbin smiled, looking over his clipboard and flipping through several documents fastened to it.

"Well, where is he?" Mawly was quick to inquire, regardless of whom she was speaking to.

"He's—" Gelbin started, but was quickly interrupted as a dwarf in military garb came stomping in, directed for Mekkatorque.

"Ey! The Dark Irons are causin' trouble in the Wetlands up north, we're shippin' out to intercept them before they reach the harbor. King Magni has requested that ye' lend us permission to draft your engineers and pilots at the hangars." The dwarf spoke quickly, getting it all out in a single breath.

Gelbin turned from Mawly now, looking at the dwarf and thinking for a moment. Finally he nodded.

"Of course." Though he said it with a more solemn note than his usual cheer.

The news disturbed Mawly, but she was focused on finding Mekrin above all other things right now. The dwarf had all ready begun jogging briskly back off in the distance to relay Mekkatorque's decision.

"So? Where's Mekrin?" Mawly was becoming distressed from a lack of answers. Gelbin turned back to her.

"In the Ironforge Military now it would seem. He is one of the engineers I sent to assist at the airfield."

Mawly's heart sunk, she let go of Diggy's hand and sprinted off as fast as her short legs could carry her, she didn't know which way the airfield was, but a feeling in her gut was pulling her to the military ward.

Mekkatorque blinked, watching Mawly dart off so quickly. He turned to Diggy who had been left standing before the processing table.

"Your name?"

Diggy chewed on his fingers.

_…_

"_Ey! Time to rise'n shine!"_

Grum's voice was more jostling than a thousand alarm clarks to Mekrin, who quickly shielded his eyes from the sunlight pouring in as he looked at the silhouette of Grum standing over him.

"Get those little boots on, it's time ta' fly!" Grum said with heavy enthusiasm.

"What? No no no, I haven't finished fine tuning the aircraft yet!" Mekrin spoke in rebuttal.

"But it'll fly'n shoot, eh?" Grum was all ready forcing Mekrin's coat into his hands, hurrying him along. In the distance the sound of propellers spinning up was quickly growing to a deafening discord.

"Yes, but-"

"Good 'nough!"

Mekrin and Grum ran out into the hangar, Grum grabbed the tarp that covered the ship and yanked it free of its straps. Most of the aircraft mass produced in the fleet had a boxy, clunky design to them. Mekrin's ship was a heavy contrast. It was noticeably larger than the other, numerous ships and it had a sleek and smooth design, crafted of a polished silver and with a conservative wingspan that angled backwards. It almost looked like a large arrowhead with a propeller on it.

"This'll fly?" Grum questioned, now seeing it in the daylight.

"It'll soar!"

Grum quickly climbed into the pilot's seat, followed by Mekrin who took a place behind him in a rear seat. Grum looked over the knobs, levers, and other controls splayed out before him.

"Eh, what's so wrong with regular flyers?"

"Never build the same thing twice, always make the next one better!"

"Right... 'nuff time wasted."

Luckily by Grum's notice, Mekrin had still designed the core controls to be like the average dwarven aircraft. Grum pulled on a chain assembly near his leg and suddenly the ship shuddered, the propeller in front spinning to life.

Slowly Grum maneuvered the craft out onto the airfield, still getting a feel for the controls as he lined it up with the runway heading north. On both sides there were aircraft hurdling down the runway before ascending to the sky and heading for the Wetlands.

_…_

_"Mekrin!"_

With the help of a dwarven guard, Mawly had been directed to the ascending staircase that lead to the Ironforge Airfield. The light of the day blinding her momentarily as she ran out from the city under the mountain, the roar of propellers and engines was deafening.

"Mekrin!" But her squeaking shouts were drowned out without hope.

Mawly spotted an unusual ship across the strip.

_That has to be Mekrin!_

The thought only brought on by knowledge of her brother's methods when it came to engineering.

_…_

_"Hang on!"_

The shimmering silver craft's machinery began to howl louder and louder, warming up. Inside the cockpit all outside noise was completely abolished, though there was a communication module that had been crafted by the gnomes to assist with coordination amongst ships.

The majority of the other ships had all ready taken off, about twenty five in total including Mekrin and Grum were being dispatched.

Mawly didn't know why she was chasing after Mekrin, if only to apologize for earlier and to see her brother again, but she kept her head down as she ran against the biting cold wind of Dun Morogh.

"Eh, hey, what's this for?" Grum inquired about a handle hanging from a short chain from the center control panel. Mekrin peeked forwards, part of him was wondering why he wasn't piloting the ship he had crafted from the ground up.

"Oh! Careful! That-" But Grum wasn't in the mood to be careful, or perhaps it was just clumsy curiosity as he yanked on the chain and suddenly a loud explosion rung out through the hindquarters of the ship.

Mawly brought her hands up to her ears as she was shaken by the ear splitting blast, looking up as suddenly Mekrin and Grum's craft rocketed down the runway with tremendous speed. Mawly flopped down into a snowbank, all she could do was watch her brother fly off into the distance.

"Ascend!" Mekrin shouted out over the noise of the ship.

"Oi! She's got'a kick to'er!" Grum gave a hearty, almost maniacal laugh.

"I haven't had time to place the pilot dome on yet!" Mekrin yelled out over the sound of wind and machinery.

The air was buffeting them both wildly, both Grum's and Mekrin's hair was forced back and flailing wildly, their eyes protected by their goggles.

The two quickly began to approach and overtake other ships, Grum still pulling on the chain assembly.

"You're going to burn up all the fuel!" Mekrin shouted out over the wind.

"WHAT?" Grum concentrated more-so on just staying in the sky.

"You're going to burn up all the fuel!"

"NAY! AIN'T TIME FOR GAMES MEKRIN! THERE'S DARK IRON AHEAD!"

The Dark Iron dwarves of Blackrock Mountain were a source of great strife for the dwarves of Ironforge, years of civil war had only lengthened the gap between the two kingdoms to the point of daily skirmishes and battles.

Soon the snowy hilltops of Dun Morogh were replaced with humid quagmires and mirky deltas. The air became warmer, though the convection of the wind was more than enough to keep them cool. The green expanses of the Wetlands were a sight uncommon to Mekrin as he peered over the edge of the ship as mountain ranges passed by quickly into descending swamps.

On the horizon against the azure stretches of the sky were a multitude of shapes. The Dark Irons had similar technology to that of Ironforge, and in some ways they were superior, as for what they were quickly gaining on it was a squadron of Dark Iron aircraft.

"Eh! I'm willin' ta' bet they were the ones who sabotaged all'a our ships! Bet they weren't countin' on you gnomes comin' to the rescue!"

Mekrin gulped, he had never been in any real battles before, even if this summed up to be nothing more than a minor skirmish between dwarven kingdoms.

"WHAT BUTTON DO I PRESS TO KILL DARK IRONS?" Grum roared out.

"I've only had time to implement basic weaponry! The mechanism atop the flight lever fires a flurry of small rockets in front of us, but I only had time to make five shots!" Mekrin cursed having not stayed up later to finish his work now.

Grum was quick to fire off all the available rounds wildly in the general direction of the Dark Iron ships which were now turning to meet the Ironforge crafts.

"That was all of our ammunition!"

Dwarven laughter cackled out as Grum continued to press the firing button arbitrarily.

"Ey! I got one!"

"That was a bird!"

"I gottem good though!"

Mekrin looked about, trying to think amidst all the chaos as to how they'd be of any use without ammunition now. Then suddenly the communication module buzzed in.

"_Zzzz!"  
"Mekrin!"_

Mekrin looked up from his contemplation.

"Higle? Higle!" The voice coming from the speaker was that of Higle Gearshot. Mekrin turned around carefully in his seat to look behind them just in time to see a bulky, ironclad craft barreling through the sky behind them.

_How'd I not notice that before?_

_"Cute toy, time to show you a real craft!"_

Higle's flying monstrosity tore through the air before Mekrin and Grum. The Dark Iron ships opened fire on it but their rounds bounced off of the heavy hull of Higle's ship, barely making a mark.

_"Activate the thorium chain gun!"_  
"_Roger!"  
_  
There were two voices coming over the module now, that of both Higle and his younger brother Tibolt. Large panels on both flanks of the craft dropped, held on by chains as suddenly two large multi-barreled chain guns thrust out and began to rotate and rearrange the direction in which they were aiming with the assistance of countless gear assemblies.

_"Fire!"_

The long barrels of the guns began to spin rapidly until suddenly a hailstorm of heavy caliber enchanted thorium rounds shredded through the air and Dark Iron craft alike. Explosions and debris soon littered the sky as the other Ironforge craft slowed their pace, in nearly an instant Higle and Tibolt had cleared the sky of opposition.

"Glad they're on our side!" Grum chuckled out, enjoying the sight.

Mekrin observed with intensity, impressed greatly by Higle and Tibolt Gearshot's aircraft and the short time they had apparently built it in.

"Eh, looks like they're retreatin' all ready!"

Grum, along with the other Ironforge ships, began to turn around and head back for Ironforge, the battle was over faster than it begun. Mekrin breathed a sigh of relief, but now his mind was littered with thoughts about how to improve his own craft.

_**Something just doesn't add up!**_


End file.
